EXCLUSIVE: Old AOL Cancel Script vs. New

By consumerist.comSeptember 7, 2006

Here’s the essential differences between AOL’s cancel script, the sheet pasted over every AOL cancel reps cubicle to tell them how to handle your cancellation request, from two years ago and today’s. Inside, full images of both.

Maybe I’ve missed something here, but what’s the big deal about cancelling an account. Awhile back, I had to travel on business, and I picked up a 60 free PeoplePC account using my company card. Upon returning, I called to cancel. I was told I couldn’t cancel until I had been with them for at least 6 months. I told them I was in the 60-day free trial period, that I had tried it and didn’t want it. I spoke to the person’s manager who gave me the same BS. So I told them I was cancling any charges I see on my credit card.

Almost two months later, I see a charge on my card. I call my card company and reverse it. I tell them I tried to cancel, and that PeoplePC wouldn’t let me. They said they would look into it, and that’s the last I heard of it. The charge disappeared.

I am assuming AOL collects monthly fees through peoples’ credit cards. If so, why not just call AOL, ask to cancel; if that doesn’t work, ask a manager to cancel your account now and tell the manager you will be calling your credit card company afterwards. Once off the phone, alert your credit card company to your problems and tell them no more money goes to AOL.

And that’s the problem right there. If you call and specifically ask to cancel an account, why wouldn’t that happen quickly and permanently? Why should you ever hve to endure additional sales pitches, “cancellations” that don’t really cancel your service, etc? AOL has a proven track record of not honoring customer’s requests, which tells you just about all you need to know about them.

I am an AOL customer rep working here in one of the contact centers located in the Philippines, and at this moment I am here in my workstation while working on this comment.

I do admire the fact that this website was created. In here we can air out all of our complaints about certain companies.

About AOL, yes they have to improve their Billing System, their dial-up service and the automated voice machine. I really feel bad about these members who are out there enduring all the inconveniences they are experiencing with AOL right now. I can say that it sucks to be an AOL member.

Lately, AOL lost a lawsuit which caused them to pay millions of dollars, and that could have been avoided if they took necessary actions earlier. Up to now, I receive calls from poor members about erroneous billing, bad dial-up service etc,. I find it hard to stand-up for AOL, knowing the fact that it was their fault. Sometimes we can’t do anything but apologize to member. I mean what can apologies do? Will it take back the hundreds of dollars AOL already took from the deceived members?

But this is a CSR’s work. To assist members, and explain to them how the rotten “SYSTEM” works. To explain why they won’t be able to receive their refund. To give them options. To comfort them.

For now, I don’t have any option but to work for the company. As we all know, the Philippines, although filled with highly-skilled and talented people, we are labeled as one of the “Third World Countries”.

By the way, if you wish to cancel, please call 1-888-265-8003 and once you have the automated voice machine,say “Cancellation”, and surprisingly you will be lead to an AOL customer consultant. At this point, your account will be verified and then you will be asked why you wanted to cancel the account. It will depend to what you really intend to do but if you just really wanted to get rid of the service, just say the lines, “All I wanna do today is cancel,” and they will automatically cancel your account. Hope that tip helps. Have a nice day!!

It’s a bummer that things are like that. I worked in retention for a cable company for 3 years. The truth is as you’ll read in other posts, some people don’t actually want to cancel. They just get mad and want to talk to a human. That’s why the csrs are going to at least ask why. Fortunately for the consumer AOL’s huge mistakes make sure that the reps are under much more strict rules, and if we are told to cancel we had to. It’s not just ” a few customers” It’s a lot of customers. Most of our calls got around 20% disconnects at the most.